Richa Chaddha compares Homebound's Box Office performance to Masaan's amid Karan Johar's stance on never producing an independent film again

The ever-ongoing debate of commercial vs art cinema has just taken a new turn. Karan Johar, who backed India's Official Oscar entry film Homebound, was so heartbroken with its Box Office failure that his statement of never producing such an independent movie again has been going viral. Interestingly, Masaan actress Richa Chaddha has opened up on the matter and compared the Box Office performance of the movies, while also trying to analyse what goes wrong with art films releasing in today's times.

Richa Chaddha compares Homebound to Masaan

Homebound, which is India's Official entry for the Oscars, was well-received in the International market but looked down upon in the Indian market. Back in 2015, something similar happened with Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan but the film gained immense respect and talented actors emerged out of it. Vicky Kaushal, in particular, stood out through the movie and stepped his way up, thanks to the powerful debut. Something similar can be noticed with Vishal Jethwa. Richa Chaddha, too, could not resist the urge to compare the two art films and how they share a similar graph, even with changing times. "The film got so many shows, precisely because the producer had clout. I think we had fewer shows for Masaan," she recalled.

Also Read: Homebound Review: Through Ishaan, Janhvi and Vishal, Ghaywan finds melancholy in the margins we ignore

What's affecting art films? Richa Chaddha analyzes

The pointers that Richa kept forward with her tweet were - Exorbitant ticket prices, the P and A bottleneck, fewer screens, and the monopoly of a couple of people on the screens. The actress, who was one of the leading characters in Masaan, felt that these pointers combined kill independent/art films. She, like most, believes that there is a certain section that wishes to watch the movies but chooses not to owing to the said factors.

Also Read: Homebound: Neeraj Ghaywan on Martin Scorsese coming on board as executive producer; 'It was highly flattering'

Karan Johar's viral statement on Homebound

Karan Johar, who is the lead producer of Homebound, has been going viral for stating that he would never produce another movie like Homebound. The remark comes amid the movie's poor Box Office performance despite global appreciation for the film. The producer, often called out for being biased towards star kids, also continues to be judged for casting Janhvi Kapoor (Boney Kapoor-Sridevi's daughter) and Ishaan Khatter (Shahid Kapoor's half-brother) as the leading faces in the project. The whole world now waits to see if Homebound does get accepted for the Academy Awards.

FAQs

Q: What is Homebound at Cannes?

A: Neeraj Ghaywan's new film Homebound, which premiered in the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, finds its roots in a poignant real-life story first told in a New York Times op-ed during India's COVID-19 lockdown.

Q: Who stars in Homebound?

A: Produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa.

Q: Is Homebound releasing in theaters?

A: Yes. Homebound released in theaters on September 26, 2025.